Pump



P 12, 1967 G. w. KEMINITZ 3,340,817

' v PUMP Filed Oct. 18, 19 65 2 Sheets$heet :1

GUSTA l E W KEM/V/TZ BUG/(HORN, BL ORE, KLAROU/ST 8 SPAR/(MAN v ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,340,817 PUMP Gustave W. Kemnitz, 2744 NE. 16th Ave., Portland, Oreg. 97212 Filed Oct. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 497,316 11 Claims. (Cl. 103-149) This invention relates to pumps, and particularly to a pump having a plurality of fluid paths for pumping plural fluids at the same time.

A main object of the present invention is to provide a pump capable of accurately, positively and simultaneously pumping plural fluids through a pump along separate paths.

The pump of my invention is characterized by having a helix-equipped rotor rotating within a mating housing, there being arranged between the rotor and the housing a tube manifold in the form of a sleeve, the manifold having a plurality of compressible fluid-conducting-tubes disposed parallel to the axis of the rotor. The tube manifold and the opposed faces of the housing and rotor are of frusto-conical form to facilitate relative endwise adjustment between the housing and rotor in order to fully collapse, but not crush, the tubes. Upon rotation of the rotor, the tubes are progressively collapsed in an axial direction to force fluids therein to flow therethrough.

Various other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of my inventive pump incorporated in a medical testing rig;

FIG. 1A is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a connector between certain of the tubes of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of my pump on a scale larger than that in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the left-hand portion and lower portion of the figure (except the rotor and the sleeve manifold) sectioned back to the mid-plane to better show certain details of construction;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the tube manifold in its blank form prior to the' ends of the manifold being joined together;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 3, better showing the relationship between the tube manifold and the housing and rotor;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of the discharge end of the preferred form of pump housing;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the structure disclosed in FIG. 8.

Referring to FIG. 1, the pump is generally indicated by the reference numeral 11 and has a plurality of resilient tubes 13 all of which are indicated by the reference numeral 13 except one, which is labeled 13"for a reason to presently appear. The tubes 13 are connected in individual fashion by suitable connectors C (shown in FIG. 1A, but not in FIG. 1) to a series of delivery tubes 15, the latter extending to individual supplies in the form of a series of bottles 16 containing various reagents. The tube 13' extends to a dipper mechanism 17 which is of conventional form and therefore only diagrammatically disclosed, the dipper mechanism being operative to dip the free end of the tube 13' in the various cups of a rotating sample plate 18 which is intermittently advanced or turned to present the cups, .which contain blood serum, in successive fashion to the tube 13'. After the tube 13' has been dipped into one cup for a predetermined period of time and has been lifted therefrom, the sample plate is advanced to present a successive sample cup to the tube "ice 13 whereafter the tube is again dipped into such successive cup to take a sample therefrom.

The output ends of the tubes 13 and 13' are connected by suitable connectors C (not shown in FIG. 1 but which are of the type shown in FIG. 1A) to input tubes 19 of a treatment system 20 where the serum samples and reagents are mixed in a predetermined fashion whereafter the thus mixed fluids are conducted individually by tubes 21 through a colorimeter 22 after which the fluids are discharged as waste. With this system, it is evident that successive samples of blood serum are mixed in identical fashion and treated in identical fashion and inspected in identical fashion so that correlation of the results obtained by the tests is readily possible.

While the pump has been described in connection with the handling of reagents and blood serum, it is evident that the pump is capable of handling a wide variety of other fluids and the reference to reagents and blood serum is merely illustrative of one of the many uses to which my pump can be put.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the pump includes an inverted T-shaped frame 21, including an upright plate 23 and a base plate 25. An electric motor 27 is mounted on the upright wall 23 and has a coupling 29 (FIG. 3) coupling the motor shaft (not shown) to the shaft 30 of the pump rotor 31. Between the rotor and a frusto-conical housing 33' is a tube manifold in the form of a frusto-conical sleeve 35 which contains a plurality of resilient tubes 13 disposed between the rotor 31 and the housing 33.

The housing has a block 41 secured to the underside thereof, the block slidably engaging the upper surface of the base plate 25 of the frame 21. The block, and thus the frusto-conical housing 33, is adapted to be moved to the left or to the right, as the parts are shown in FIG. 3, by a shaft 43 which is threaded at 45 to threadedly engage a nut 47 having a shaft portion 49 slidably received by a bore in the block 41. A screw 51 and accompanying washer 53 secure the nut 47 and its shaft 49 to the block 41. The nut 47 also has a lug 55 to engage the upper face of the base wall 25 to tend to stabilize the frusto-conical housing 33.

The shaft 43 is equipped with a pair of collars 61 secured thereto on opposite sides of the upright plate 23 so that while the shaft 43 can rotate, it is prevented from endwise movement. The left-hand end of the shaft extends through a support piece 63 and is equipped with a knurled wheel 65 by which the shaft may be rotated.

A resistor 71 and a condenser 73 are provided on the frame 21 for the motor 27, the motor having a pair of input conductors 75 which lead to a source of electrical power for operating the motor.

The construction of the tube manifold 35 can best be appreciated from FIGS. 4 through 7, FIG. 5. showing the manifold in its blank or laid out form, that is, in a flat condition prior to it being formed into a sleeve. By comparing FIGS. 5 and 6, it is evident that the manifold in its fiat form includes a lower layer or sheet 81 in the form of a sector of an annulus upon which is laid in generally radiating fashion the plural resilient tubes 13, the tubes being sandwiched between the plastic sheet '81 and a second plastic sheet 83 which is also in the form of a sector of an annulus. The circu mferential length of the sheet 83 is greater than that of the sheet 81 although, as is evident from FIG. 5, the sheet 83 and the sheet 81 are coextensive. The explanation for this is obvious from FIG. 6 where it is evident that the sheet 81 is fiat, while the sheet 83, originally being fiat, is caused to assume an undulated gathered form to accommodate the tubes 13. At places between the tubes, the sheet 83 and the sheet 81 are heat seamed together, as at 85, to form a sandwich unit. Thereafter, the edges 87 and 89 of the sandwich unit are heat J: seamed together to form a frusto-conical sleeve with the sheet or layer 81 outermost and having an external diameter the same as the internal diameter of the frusto-conical housing 33 at any cross section of such housing. This is best evident from FIG. 7.

It is further evident from FIG. that the sheet 81 is wider than the sheet 83. This provides the sheet 81 with a flap 81' which is not connected to the tubes 13. Thus, when the tubular sock or manifold is inserted in place in the frustoconical housing '33 (at a time it is free of the rotor 31), the flap 81' is reversely folded, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to overlie a groove 91 formed in the exterior of the housing 33. A securing band 93 compresses the flap into the groove 91 to secure the flap and thus the sleeve in place. This flap securement positively prevents any endwise movement of the tube manifold as might tend to occur because of rotation of the rotor 31 within the housing 33 and against the tube manifold 35.

The particular rotor 31 shown has a frusto-conical body which is grooved (FIG. 4) to receive a pair of threads 3112 and 310, each thread having a circumferential length in the particular embodiment of the invention shown of a revolution and one-quarter. Thus the rotor has a double thread.

When the motor is operated to drive the rotor 31, the threads 31b and 31c progressively collapse the walls of the tubes 13 (the collapsed portions immediately expanding once the pressure is removed) and thus progressively drive fluid therein from the left to right as the parts are shown in FIG. 1 with the rotor rotating in the direction of the solid arrow shown in FIG. 3.

It is pointed out that the frusto conical housing 33 floats on the frusto-conical rotor 31 being in part supported by the block 41 and the wedge 55, but nevertheless allowed to float and assume its own position relative to the rotor.

It is pointed out that the threads 31b and 310 may conveniently be provided by utilizing lengths of Teflon rod of circular cross section wound about the grooves in the rotor 31 and secured at their end portions (and at other desired places) to the body 31 of the rotor. Thus, referring to FIG. 1, fluid would simultaneously be drawn from the multiple containers 17 through the tubes and forced by the pump 11 through the treatment system 21 and the colorimeter 23. By way of example, the treatments system could include mixing coils, dialysis membranes, heating baths, cooling baths, etc.

It is evident that a different sized rotor and housing could be employed with the particular frame and motor assembly shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, by merely removing the rotor 31 from the connector 29 and backing off the frusto-conical housing 33 by rotating the adjustment screw 65. Thereafter another rotor could be connected to the coupling 29 and another housing, if larger, having a shorter block 41, could be placed on the base plate 25 and the adjustment shaft 43 rotated to draw the new housing onto the rotor (it being assumed that the tube manifold would already have been applied to the housing). After the housing had been moved to the left to cause the helix elements 311) and 31c to compress into the tubes 13 a desired extent, the left-hand ends of the tubes 13 would be coupled to any desired supply arrangement, and the right-hand ends of the tubes 13 would be coupled to any desired testing and/ or inspection system. A simple switch, not shown, could be employed to control the operation of the motor 27.

The preferred form of pump housing and tube manifold construction is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 wherein it is evident that the housing 33a is provided at each end thereof (one end being shown in FIG. 8) with circumferentially equally distributed slots 201 to receive the tubes 13a of a tube manifold 35a. The slots are just wide enough to pass the tubes 13a, each tube having a short collar 203 adhesively secured thereto which provides a shoulder abutting against the exterior of the housing 33a on the surface portions defining the associated slots 201. Adjacent the end of the housing 33a shown, the peripheral housing surface is provided with a circumferential groove 2&5 to receive a snap ring 207 to retain the tubes 13a in the slots 201. It is pointed out that in the manifold 35a in the form of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 8 and 9, the outer sheet 81a has a length so that each end thereof terminates just short of, or at, the slots 201. The inner sheet 83a has a length approximately the same.

The inner surface of the housing 33a preferably is provided with a coating 209 having a high coeflicient of friction, such as neoprene, so that the manifold 35a is restrained against movement in an axial direction relative to the pump.

While the description of FIGS. 8 and 9 is directed primarily to the right-hand end or discharge end of the pump 11, it will be understood that the left-hand end of the pump housing is similarly constructed. The left-hand end of the manifold is similarly constructed. With this arrangement, it is a very simple matter to place the manifold in position by inserting it through the housing and then inserting the various tubes 13 and 13 into their respective slots after which they are retained in place by the associated snap ring.

Having described the invention in what is considered to be the preferred embodiment thereof, it is desired that it be understood that the invention is not to be limited other than by the provisions of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough.

2. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form.

3. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for eifecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes.

4. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

said rotor being bodily stationary,

means for mounting said housing for movement in an endwise direction whereby the pressure of said helix on said tubes may be varied.

5. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for effecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes,

said manifold being in the form of a frusto-conical sleeve.

6. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for effecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes,

said manifold being in the form of a frusto-conical sleeve,

said sleeve being of sandwich form in cross section, and

having an outer frusto-conical layer,

said plural tubes being sandwiched between said outer frusto-conical layer and a second layer of general frusto-conical form but being of undulating form to accommodate said tubes.

7. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said, tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for effecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes,

said manifold being in the form of a frusto-conical sleeve,

said sleeve being of sandwich form in cross section,

and having an outer frusto-conical layer,

said plural tubes being sandwiched between said outer frusto-conical layer and a second layer of general frusto-conical form but undulating to accommodate said tubes,

said layers being secured together at places between said tubes.

8. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

a tube manifold of sleeve form disposed between the housing and rotor,

said tube manifold including plural flexible wall tubes extending at least generally in the same direction as that of the axis of said rotor and adapted to receive fluid to be handled,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for eifecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes,

said manifold being in the form of a frusto-oonical sleeve,

said sleeve being of sandwich form in cross section,

and having an outer frusto-conical layer,

said plural tubes being sandwiched between said outer lfrusto-conical layer and a secondvlayer of general frusto-conical form but being of sinuous form to accommodate said tubes,

said layers being secured together at places between said tubes,

said outer layer having a flap portion at the larger end thereof secured to said housing.

9. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

plural flexible wall tubes disposed between said rotor and housing in endwise or longitudinal relation thereto and distributed around said rotor,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough.

10. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

plural flexible wall tubes disposed between said rotor and housing in endwise or longitudinal relation thereto and distributed around said rotor,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for efiecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes.

11. A pump comprising:

a rotor having a helix,

a housing surrounding said rotor,

plural flexible wall tubes disposed between said rotor and housing in endwise or longitudinal relation thereto and distributed around said rotor,

said helix being disposed in compressed relationship with respect to said tubes so that upon rotation of said rotor, said tubes are progressively collapsed by said helix in an axial direction to cause fluid therein to flow therethrough,

the opposed walls of said rotor and housing being of frusto-conical form,

and means for elfecting relative endwise adjustment between said rotor and housing to vary the pressure of said helix on said tubes,

and means for supporting said housing in floating relation about said rotor but releasably preventing endwise movement of said housing and preventing rotation of said housing.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 8/1958 Great Britain.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

WILBUR I. GOODLIN, Examiner. 

1. A PUMP COMPRISING: A ROTOR HAVING A HELIX, A HOUSING SURROUNDING SAID ROTOR, A TUBE MANIFOLD OF SLEEVE FORM DISPOSED BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND ROTOR, SAID TUBE MANIFOLD INCLUDING PLURAL FLEXIBLE WALL TUBES EXTENDING AT LEAST GENERALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THAT OF THE AXIS OF SAID ROTOR AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE FLUID TO BE HANDLED, SAID HELIX BEING DISPOSED IN COMPRESSED RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO SAID TUBES SO THAT UPON ROTATION OF SAID ROTOR, SAID TUBES ARE PROGRESSIVELY COLLAPSED BY SAID HELIX IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION TO CAUSE FLUID THEREIN TO FLOW THERETHROUGH. 